Buenos Aires made padel history on Saturday as the FIP Senior World Cup 2026 reached its climax at Parque Roca. Argentina's men retained their world title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Spain in a tense Superclásico, while Spain's women claimed their fourth consecutive gold medal, routing the United States 3-0 in a final that was never in doubt. The 2026 edition was the first time the tournament has been staged on South American soil, with 58 nations competing across multiple age categories.
Argentina Retain the Men's Crown in a Five-Rubber Thriller
Argentina hit the ground running in the men's final. Tito Allemandi and Agustín Gómez Silingo, playing in the +40 category, were ruthless against Enric Sanmartí and Gerard Company, winning 6-1, 6-1 to hand the hosts a 1-0 lead in the tie. Spain refused to fold and came back to edge into a 2-1 advantage, threatening to deny Argentina on their own turf.
The decisive moment arrived in the +45 category, where Miguel Lamperti and Cristian Gutiérrez took on Aday Santana and Javi Limones. The Argentine pair delivered under pressure, winning 6-4, 6-3 to level the match and then clinch the fifth rubber, sparking celebrations that had been building all week at Parque Roca. The 3-2 victory gave Argentina their second consecutive Senior World Cup men's title, following the gold they won in Qatar in 2024. This was also the first time that Argentina's legendary padel names — including former world-number-ones such as Alejandro Lasaigues — competed for the championship on home soil.
Spain's Women Undefeated in Every Edition of the Championship
Spain's women approached the final with the confidence of a side that had not dropped a single set throughout the entire tournament, and they did not change their approach against a USA team that was making its first women's final appearance in tournament history.
Lucía Sainz and Lorena Alonso opened the match in the +40 category with a composed 6-1, 6-2 win. Belén Castrillo and Maricruz Baquero then produced a flawless 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the +60 category, barely giving the USA a look-in. Eva Gayoso and María Wakonigg completed the formality in the +55 rubber, winning 6-1, 6-3 to seal a 3-0 win that matched the team's dominant run through the draw.
The victory means Spain has now won all four editions of the women's competition, a record achieved under the guidance of coach Carolina Navarro — one of the most decorated players in the history of padel. The USA's run to the final, which included a 3-2 win over Belgium in the semi-finals, represents the most significant result in their senior women's programme to date.
A Landmark Week for the Global Game
The scale of the event underlined how far senior padel has travelled. With 58 nations competing at venues including Parque Roca and the Lasaigues Canning courts outside Buenos Aires, the 2026 edition was the most international iteration of the Senior World Cup to date. For Argentine organisers and the FIP alike, staging the tournament in South America for the first time was a statement of intent about the sport's growth beyond its traditional European heartlands.
Attention now shifts to France, where the FIP Platinum Lyon opens on Monday 21 September. Franco Stupaczuk and Jon Sanz enter as men's top seeds, and with Race to Barcelona ranking points on the line, the competition in Lyon will be fierce from the opening round of qualifications.
Padel Post Redaktion
The Padel Post editorial team covers professional padel worldwide — World Padel Tour, Premier Padel and beyond.
